The FAA Reauthorization Act just passed the Senate with overwhelming support and is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. This is an important moment for MAPPS and the entire geospatial community because this bill (which will soon become a law) was a vehicle for the legislative text of the Geospatial Data Act. MAPPS has been a significant and instrumental stakeholder in both the drafting and the advocacy processes for this bill.

Just a few of the business opportunities that may arise from this 5 year reauthorization include:

Airport infrastructure projects

Airport safety projects

Hurricane Florence relief projects

Projects related to open data and geo-portal required in the GDA

Not only were we able to insert language into the bill encouraging additional use of the private sector for the provision of geospatial data and services, but we also had a successful Call-to-Action campaign to help advance this bill through the legislative process.